1. Field of the Invention.
This invention relates to a dispenser for the measured release of a free-flowing substance from a tilted hand-held storage container, having no moving parts at the moment of its operation. p 2. Statement of the Related Art.
A tilting dispenser of this general type is described in German Patent Application No. 31 20 234 and corresponding European Patent Application No. 66,216. The device meters loose material from a container by allowing it first to fall into a pocket of given volume and then to leave the pocket. The material is delivered by first inverting the container 180.degree. so that the device points downwards (the material enters the pocket). The container is then righted again (the material leaves the pocket and enters the throat 11 of the outlet 19). The container is then inverted for the second and last time (the material slides out along the outlet's throat and fresh material enters the pocket).
The pocket is defined by an extension 10 to one side of the outlet throat. A sloping wall 5 acts as a roof for the pocket and allows material to enter the pocket only from one side. The material passes from the pocket over the extension 10 into the throat.
Although this known dispenser may be used for dispensing fine granulates, the pack has to be tilted or turned upside down twice for dispensing. Not only does this complicate dispensing, but also the dispenser volume required is disproportionate in relation to the dispensed volume, because at least two compartments with the full dispensing volume are required inside the dispenser. The considerable dispenser volume may either be accomodated within the storage vessel or afforded as an attachment. In the first case, there is a considerable loss of filling volume, while in the second case the repacking required for shipping is expensive.
For the reasons explained above, the known tilting dispensers are used almost exclusively for dispensing small quantities, for example of sugar. For dispensing considerably larger quantities, for example of detergent powders, tilting dispensers have until now been regarded as unsuitable either because they required an unusually large dispensing head which could not be economically produced or because their use necessitated persistent repetition of the dispensing operation which was unappealing to the consumer.